91探花

It鈥檚 one of the biggest challenges for working parents: finding child care.

For many staff, faculty and students at the University of 91探花, the University Child Care Centre (UCCC), has provided a vital solution. It is a place with a rich history of children learning from and being cared for by trusted professionals, while also growing their social circles.

Its story began in the mid-1970s.

Meeting a growing campus鈥� need

With the new U91探花 campus being less than a decade old, officials started noticing a trend with its growing population. Not only were faculty members coming with their families, but the number of married students with children made it clear that a full-time child-care facility was a must-have.

A committee of officials from the university, and provincial and municipal governments was created in 1975 with the goal of creating a child-care centre.

The centre opened its doors in the lower level of MacEwen Hall in 1976 as a temporary space for 60 children while the 14-member University Daycare Society鈥檚 board of directors (now the University Child Care Centre Society) looked at how to get a standalone facility built.

Keeping up with demand

That dream became a reality in September 1993 when the Imperial Oil Child Care Building opened on the east side of main campus with space for 80 children, including a fenced-in playground and larger indoor play areas.

A year later, the name was changed to the current University Child Care Centre.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a desperate need for spaces,鈥� centre official Dee Carrington said in an interview with the 91探花 Herald. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for moms on campus to be able to pop in and out. It gives them peace of mind.鈥�

As the campus continued to grow, so too did the need for more child-care spaces, leading to the opening of the Child Development Centre on the west side of main campus in 2007.

鈥淎ll of the activities in this facility will have one common goal 鈥� the improvement of the quality of life of children and their families,鈥� then-U91探花 President Harvey Weingarten told the Herald. 

Along with the 82 new spots, he said the goal was to integrate the facility with ongoing research activities so that 鈥済roups will come to us with problems to be solved and researched.鈥�

Facilities built on relationships

The two locations now feature around 50 staff members who care for about 200 children, ranging from infants to preschoolers.

UCCC Society Executive Director Sharlene Irwin says the centre has been successful for a variety of reasons, most importantly an expectation of excellence with how each staff member shows up to the relationships nurtured with families.

鈥淲e really focus on children being strong, capable, mighty learners,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat kind of belief has always shaped everything we do.鈥�

A unique aspect of the centre is that the children and their parents get to grow together in a way, where they are walking on the same paths, going to the same libraries and even explore the labs where parents are learning, teaching or researching.

Even Campus Security members will come into the centre to do safety lessons with the children.

鈥淭hose relationships are really at the core of who we are with the families, the children, the educators and the entire campus community,鈥� Irwin says. 鈥淚 think that interplay of relationships has really kept us strong and relevant over the last 50 years.鈥�

Staple of the community

The West Campus Child Care Centre became a 鈥渉ome away from home鈥� for , PhD, and her two children as she and her husband, , PhD, completed their research during the work week.

What they discovered was a facility that was more than a daycare.

鈥淭here is this brief window when it is so important for you as a parent,鈥� says Bray, an associate professor in the and child health and wellness researcher at the Alberta Children鈥檚 Hospital Research Institute鈥檚 .

鈥淚t鈥檚 also important for the university in bringing the best and brightest people and their families from all over the world to come and work here.鈥�

Despite being a few years apart in age, their children have seen the same teachers and caregivers, experienced similar programs and activities, and enjoyed some of the same food favourites, with their son even saying he鈥檚 a bit jealous their daughter has their lasagna from time to time.

鈥淗aving people that you really trust to take care of your kids and not just take care of them, but their environment is so nurturing, it鈥檚 huge,鈥� Bray says. 鈥淚t puts you more at ease, especially when you鈥檙e leaving your newborn or infant somewhere during the week.鈥�

Already living near U91探花, the family is also reaping the benefits of a stronger work-life balance.

鈥淚t definitely makes it easier in terms of logistics of wrangling everyone to where they need to be,鈥� Barclay says. 鈥淲e know we often have to cram in meetings at the end of the day and that becomes more possible, so it makes it easier to be good colleagues, as well.鈥�

Planning for the future

Maintaining excellence in service is paramount in the eyes of the centre鈥檚 board of directors.

With thousands more students, faculty and staff than when they first opened, Irwin says they have had to be creative in coming up with new ideas to expand programming within their current facilities.

While no formal plans are in place for a major expansion or third facility, she says it is always a conversation starter.

鈥淥ur strategic planning is coming up, and our board always wants to focus on meeting the needs of the campus community,鈥� says Irwin. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to maybe look at new ways of fundraising, as we would like to revitalize our building and enhance our aging playgrounds.鈥�

She says U91探花鈥檚 60th anniversary comes at a great time with the centre celebrating its own birthday, which will include a party to bring generations of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members together on June 18.

鈥淲e have so much to be proud of every single day,鈥� Irwin says.